‘Up to 90 percent’ of UK petrol pumps dry amid panic buying

A lack of truck drivers means fuel cannot be transported to petrol stations, but the government has promised urgent action.

Petrol pumps in English cities are running dry after panic buying worsened shortages caused by a lack of truckers.

Queues of cars snaked back from filling stations across the country on Sunday, swallowing up supplies and forcing many retailers to shut despite assurances from the government that the United Kingdom is not short of fuel.

“Some of our members, large groups with a portfolio of sites, report 50 percent are dry as of yesterday, some even report as many as 90 percent are dry as of yesterday,” Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), told UK broadcaster Sky News on Monday.